Early in September at a meeting with representatives of the Judicial
Conduct Committee, the justices of the Supreme Court expressed their support for the
creation of a committee to study the structure and work of the Judicial Conduct Committee.
Following that meeting, the justices asked well-known Attorney Wilfred L. Sanders, Jr. and
St. Anselm President Jonathan P. DeFelice to chair such a study committee. Attorney
Sanders and Brother Jonathan agreed to serve the citizens of the State in that capacity
and were given full independent authority to determine the size of the committee, its
membership, its agenda and its procedures.

We are delighted at the pace with which the co-chairs have begun
implementing the study project and look forward to cooperating with them in any way that
we can. We want the members of the committee and the public to know that we have assured
Attorney Sanders and Brother Jonathan that we will give prompt, thoughtful and thorough
consideration to any recommendations the committee makes to the court. We fully expect the
review process to be open and inclusive and that the final report of the committee will be
made available to the public and the three branches of government when the committee's
review is completed.